Drainable pipe for tanks



(No Model.) 2 Shets-Sheet 1.

' T. JJMURPIN.

DRAINABLE PIPE FOR TANKS.

Patented June 7,1898.

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NlTED STATE-s PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS J. MURFIN, on sLEEPY EYE, MINNESOTA.

DRAINABLE PIPE FOR TANKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 605,295, dated June '7, 1898.

Application filed December 14:, 1897. rm N 6 1, 32. N 3105813 To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. MURFIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sleepy Eye, in the county of Brown and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Drainable Pipes for Tanks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention was especially designed for use in connection with gasolene or other Water-jacketed engines, but is capable of use generally wherever the corresponding function is required.

With the class of engines above referred to the water is supplied usually from a suitable tank, which is provided with circulating connections to the jacket of the engine-cylinder. These tanks are frequently exposed to low temperatures at times when the engine is not in use. Under such conditions much difficulty has been experienced with the circulating-pipes on account of the freezing of the water therein.

My invention has for its object to provide a pipe or pipes for use in connection with a water or other liquid tank which shall be of such construction as to permit the pipe to be emptied without emptying the tank.

To this end my invention consists of the novel features of construction hereinafter described, and defined in the claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like notations refer to like parts throughout the several views.

Figure l is an end elevation of a gasolenea engine plant with some parts removed and others broken away. Fig. 2 is a similar View of the Water-supply tank and part of the circulating connections, but with the sections of the pipes within the tank in their idle or draining position. Fig. 3 is a View of a tank equipped with a single pipe constructed in accordance with my invention, illustrating the general application of'thesame, whether or not the same be combined with a waterjacketed engine.

The numeral 1 indicates an ordinary gasolone-engine, and the numeral 2 denotes the wateracket thereof.

The numeral 3 represents a suitable tank for holding the water required to water-jacket the engine. The said tank is shown as upheld by a suitable support a at the proper level for the work required. The supply-pipe from the water-jacket 2 of the engine is shown as made up of the sections a, a a and a. The return-flow pipe is shown as made up of the sectionsb 1) h The section of of the supply-pipe is shown as tapped by a wastepipe 0, which is provided with a suitable stopcock 0. The feature of novelty about these circulating-pipes above noted is the fact that the section a of the supply-pipe and the section 72 of the-return-flow 'pipe are flexible, the same being shown as made up of ordinary hose. Normally these flexible sections of the circulating-pipes located within the tank 3 are submerged, and the circulating eonnec tions then operate in the ordinary way when the engine is at work. When the engine is stopped, if the season and exposure besuch as to require care to avoid freezing of the .water in the pipes, the flexible sections withr in the tank may be elevated into such a position that their upper ends will be out of the water and that gravity will become operative to drain the pipes whenever a suitable outlet a and 12 into their elevated or draining po-- sition, as shown in Fig. 2. The means shown for the purpose are ordinary pull-ropes or flexible connections f, extending to the out* side of the tank and which may be made fast to any suitable retaining devices, such as the headed pins or set-screws f, fixed to the side of the tank. When the said flexible pipeseotions are in the position shown in Fig. 2 and stop-cock o is open, it is obvious that all the water within the pipe, as well asthe water within the engine-jacket 2, will be permitted to escape, under the action of gravity, through the waste-pipe 0. Hence no freezing of water can occur within the circulatingpipes. I The quantity of water 5 within the tank 3 is usually sufficient to prevent any serious injury from the ordinary amount of freezing to which the same is subjected under ordi- The trouble has been with into the atmosphere.

nary conditions. the freezing of the water in the circulatingpipes and the consequent bursting of the pipes. In the old construction a stop-cock has usually been placed in the pipe-section a projecting from the bottom of the tank, and when the engine was stopped this stop-cock was turned into its closed position in order to permit the water-jacket 2 of the engine and the other parts of the circulating-pipes to be drained through the waste-pipe c, and V with that old construction the pipe-section a would burst at or near the tank or on the water side of the stop-cock formerly employed. It is obvious that with my improvement this trouble is avoided.

It will readily be understood that the same principle of construction is capable of application to tanks and liquid-containing vessels of all kinds wherever the corresponding func tion is required. In the construction shown in Fig. 3, for example, the tank and its support are shown as supplied with a single pipe,

shown as made up of the sections a and a only, with the section a open for discharge It is obvious that with this construction the action is the same as in the plant above described so far as draining the outlet-pipe is concerned. With the form shown in Fig. 3 the flexible pipe-section or hose or will be submerged and drop to the bottom of the tank when it is desired to empty the tank for any purpose, and when-it is desired to drain the pipe without emptying the tank the flexible or hose section a .will be drawn up into the-position illustrated.

The tank as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 is shown as provided with an overflow-pipe g near its top.

The hose or flexible sections of the pipes within the tank are of sul iicient weight to sink into their normal or submerged positions in I water under the action of gravity; but if any denser liquids were employed or any difficulty 5 in that respect was experienced the pipe-sections at and b could be loaded with sufficient weight in any suitable way.

The flexible pipe sections or section within the tank is the best construction according to my experience and judgment, and I do not know of any other which is the full mechanical equivalent thereof; but pipe-sections might be otherwise made. extensible-such, for example, as sections having screw-threaded engagement with each other below the waterlevel and extensible one on the other to bring the mouth of the pipe above the liquid-level in the tank.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows: 1. The combination with a tank for water or other liquids, of a pipe having, within the tank a section normally submerged, but capalevel in the tank, for draining the pipe with- I out emptying the tank, substantially as described.

engine having a water-jacket, of circulating connections from said tank to said jacket, which circulating connections include sections of pipe within the tank normally submerged, but capable of extension to a point f above the liquid-level, and a discharge-opening, outside the tank, for draining the circulating connections in the water-jacket of the tially as described.

i 3. The combination with awater-tank and i a water-jacketed engine, of circulating connections from the tank to the engine, which Sconnections are provided with flexible sections of pipe within the tank normally submerged, but capable of being elevated to bring their mouths above the liquid-level in I the tank, and a valve-controlled dischargeopening, at the lowest point in the circulating connections outside the tank, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature i in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS J. MURFIN.

Witnesses D. BANGS,

L. DAVIS.

ble of extension to a point above the liquid-.

5 engine, without emptying the tank, substan-- 2. The combination with a tank and an 

